Hi everyone!
Happy Dragon Boat Festival!
*Duan Wu Jie Kuai Le!
This is considered as one of the main national holidays celebrated in Asia. So, what's this day all about? Let us tell you all about it. ^^
Origin of the Dragon Boat Festival
Based on the lunar calendar, on May 5th of each year is the Dragon Boat Festival (Duan Wu). There are many legends regarding the origin of this festival, but the most famous one is about a man named Qu Yuan.
According to the "Biography of Qu Yuan Jia Sheng" in "Records of the Grand Historian", Qu Yuan was the minister of Emperor Chu Huai during the Spring and Autumn Period. He advocated appointing talents, prospering the country and strengthening the army, and urged to unite against the Qin Dynasty. However, he was strongly opposed by the nobleman Zilan and others. Qu Yuan was expelled from the capital and exiled to the Yuan and Xian basins (current Hunan Province). In his exile, he wrote many well-known poems such as "Li Sao", "Heaven Questions", and "Nine Songs", which have unique style and far-reaching influence (the content of these poems are all about his worry of the country and the people). In 278 B.C., the Qin Army conquered the capital of Chu. Qu Yuan saw his motherland being invaded, and was devastated, but he still couldn't bear to abandon his motherland. On May 5th, after writing his masterpiece "Huaisha", he committed suicide by jumping into the Miluo River.
Legend has it that after Qu Yuan's death, the people of Chu were so sad that they went to the Miluo River to pay tribute to Qu Yuan. The fishermen rowed boats to look for his body with no luck. A fisherman took out the rice balls, eggs and other food and threw them into the river to feed the fishes (and other sea creatures) so they will not "eat" Qu Yuan's body. Other people started to do so as well. An old doctor brought a jar of realgar wine and poured it into the river, saying that he wanted to use it as medicine to knock out the water dragon so they will not hurt Qu Yuan. Later on people came up with the idea of wrapping rice in melia leaves to prevent the water dragon from eating them.
Later, on the fifth day of May every year, customs of dragon boat racing, eating rice dumplings wrapped in melia leaves, and drinking realgar wine to commemorate Qu Yuan.
In addition, in the Chinese historical tradition, May 5 is known as the evil moon and evil day. According to the "Book of Changes" (I Ching) and other classics, Yin and evil arise from five. May 5 is the time when the Yang Qi reaches the end of Duanyang. In this day, the epidemic of malaria is more widespread. The reason may be due to the hot summer weather, food is not easy to preserve, mosquito breeding, easy to cause various infectious diseases. Therefore, on this day, people will insert wormwood leaves, hang calamus, drink realgar wine, wear sachets, etc. to achieve the purpose of evil spirits and health care.
Customs and health preservation of Dragon Boat Festival
－Eating rice dumplings
According to different local customs, the ingredients and taste of rice dumplings (zongzi) are also slightly different. Basically, the materials for zongzi include bamboo leaves, glutinous rice, pork, peanuts, salted egg yolks, and shiitake mushrooms. Glutinous rice is sweet and warm in nature, it has the effects of invigorating the qi, strengthening the spleen, warming the body and stopping diarrhea; people with dry and hot physique and indigestion are recommended to eat less. In the production, it can be mixed with purple rice or ten-grain rice for higher nutritional value, or add red beans, barley, etc. to enhance the effect of strengthening the spleen and removing dampness.
－Hang Wormwood
Wormwood is bitter and pungent in nature and has the effects of dispelling cold, warming menstruation and stopping bleeding, and anti-fetus. Mugwort leaves can be used as vegetables, as medicine, and getting rid of insects. The commonly used methods in traditional Chinese medicine are moxibustion, foot bath in medicated bath and so on. Moxibustion is suitable for debilitating diseases and cold syndromes, and has the effect of improving yang energy. Moxibustion in summer has certain effects on cold, asthma and allergic rhinitis. When using moxibustion strips, you must pay attention its ashes to prevent skin burns. It is not recommended for people who are hot (heated physique).
－Chinese herbal tea drinks: Malt, Hawthorn, Shenqu
Malt, Hawthorn and Shenqu are collectively referred to as the Three Immortals, which are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to help digestion and protect the spleen and stomach. Since the main component of zongzi is glutinous rice, if you eat too much, it will cause bloating and indigestion. For the food accumulation formed by rice noodles, you can use malt tea to help with digestion. If indigestion is caused by eating too much meat, hawthorn can be used. However, mothers who are breastfeeding, it is not recommended to drink malt tea, because malt has the effect of stopping breastmilk. Shenqu is rich in yeast, so adding Shenqu to hawthorn tea or malt tea can enhance the digestion!
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端午節是中華文化中的重要節日之一，到底端午節是什麼樣的日子呢？以下就讓我們來為大家介紹一下～祝大家端午節快樂！享受佳節美食的同時，也要健健康康喔！
端午節的由來
農曆五月初五（2021年6月14日）是端午節，為中國古老的傳統節日之一。關於端午節的由來與傳說很多，但是最為人所知的是有關屈原的故事。
據《史記》「屈原賈生列傳」記載，屈原，是春秋時期楚懷王的大臣。他倡導舉賢授能，富國強兵，力主聯齊抗秦，遭到貴族子蘭等人的強烈反對，屈原遭罷免，被趕出都城，流放到沅、湘流域。他在流放中，寫下了憂國憂民的《離騷》、《天問》、《九歌》等不朽詩篇，獨具風貌，影響深遠。公元前278年，秦軍攻破楚國京都。屈原眼看自己的祖國被侵略，心如刀割，但是始終不忍捨棄自己的祖國，於五月五日，在寫下了絕筆作《懷沙》之後，抱石投汨羅江身死，以自己的生命譜寫了一曲壯麗的愛國主義樂章。
傳說屈原死後，楚國百姓哀痛異常，紛紛涌到汨羅江邊去憑弔屈原。漁夫們划起船隻，在江上來回打撈他的屍體。有位漁夫拿出為屈原準備的飯糰、雞蛋等食物，「撲通、撲通」地丟進江里，說是讓魚龍蝦蟹吃飽了，就不會去咬屈大夫的身體了。人們見後紛紛仿效。一位老醫師則拿來一壇雄黃酒倒進江里，說是要藥暈蛟龍水獸，以免傷害屈大夫。後來為怕飯糰為蛟龍所食，人們想出用楝樹葉包飯，外纏彩絲，發展成棕子。
以後，在每年的五月初五，就有了龍舟競渡、吃粽子、喝雄黃酒的風俗，以此來紀念屈原。
另外，在中國的歷史傳統認為五月五日是惡月惡日，按照《易經》等典籍記載，陰惡從五而生，五月五日恰恰是陽氣運行到端點的端陽之時，這種日子惡癘病疫多泛濫。原因可能是由於夏季天氣炎熱，食物不易保存，蚊蟲孳生，容易引發各種傳染病。因此，這一天人們便插艾葉、挂菖蒲、喝雄黃酒、配帶香囊等，以達到辟邪保健的目的。
參考資料：
http://culture.people.com.cn/BIG5/n1/2016/0607/c404702-28417329.html
https://a2z.fhl.net/paper/paper247.html
端午節的習俗與養生
－吃粽子
根據地方風俗習慣的不同，粽子在食材及口味上也有些許的不同。基本上粽子的材料有竹葉、糯米、豬肉、花生、鹹蛋黃、香菇等。糯米性甘溫，具有益氣健脾、暖中止瀉的效果；體質燥熱及消化不良的人建議少吃。在製作上，可用營養價值較高的紫米或是十穀米混和，或是加入紅豆、薏仁等增強健脾祛濕的效果。
－掛艾草
艾草性味苦辛溫，具有溫中散寒、溫經止血、安胎的功效。艾葉可入菜、入藥、驅蟲；中醫臨床上常用的方式為艾灸、藥浴泡腳等。艾灸適用於虛弱性疾病及寒症，有提升陽氣的作用，在夏天進行艾灸對寒性哮喘及過敏性鼻炎具有一定的療效，在使用艾灸條時須注意煙灰防止燙傷發生，體質燥熱的人不建議使用喔。
－中藥茶飲－麥芽、山楂、神曲
麥芽、山楂、神曲合稱三仙，中醫用來幫助消化，保健脾胃。由於粽子主要的成分是糯米，如果吃太多容易胃脹、消化不良等，針對由米麵類形成的食積可以用麥芽煮茶來消食。若是肉類吃太多造成的消化不良，則可使用山楂。不過正在哺乳的媽媽們，就不建議喝麥芽茶了，因為麥芽有回乳的作用。神曲富含酵母菌，因此在山楂茶或是麥芽茶添加神曲可增強消食健胃的功效喔！
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